The father reconciles with Hank at the end gives Hank the approval he so badly desired, but it doesn't seem that Hank ever takes responsibility for what he did as a young kid. At the very least he should have apologized for injuring his older brother.
shareThat's what the hug between them was all about, putting their differences aside. I don't think the moment would have been enhanced with a lot of unnecessary dialog.
shareI don't think the moment would have been enhanced with a lot of unnecessary dialog.
Another one is expecting Hank to have somehow evolved or to have gotten back with his wife. I actually like that his evolution was mainly internal and not obvious, and that there wasn't some ridiculous scene at the end where he returns home, hugs his wife and lives happily ever after.
Spelled out? No. But his attitude never seemed to have acknowledged the part he played in his brother's fate.
shareAs I recall, he does acknowledge it, at least by body language, etc. Again, it's not spoon fed.
“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Exactly. I got the real sense, not so much verbally but in other ways, that the car crash thing was actually an immense burden weighing on Hank. One that was very likely a huge motivating factor (along with his father) for him to excel in college and subsequently becoming a superior lawyer.
But then that's often true of huge burdens of guilt isn't it? They either drag us down to failure or they become the thing we most want to atone for thus it spurs us on to become something more.
A great deal is not "spoon fed" to the viewer in this movie, nor should it be. A lot of feelings and such aren't spoon fed in our real life family dynamic either. People don't alway know how to begin saying a thing, but a hug or a look, now that can often say far more than words ever could. Sometimes it is the thing that isn't said, or even need not be said aloud, that carries with it the most impact. Especially between two brothers, or a father and son.
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That makes it sound like they were both equally culpable, but I think Glen is far less so. He stayed home to watch the parents and his career was shot. He definitely got the worst of it, and it is never acknowledged.
I don't know... the hug seemed more about the current situation, I didn't get the feeling that there was any contrition there... just mutual support at a sad time.
How do you know they both are not guilty? They both could have been out of their minds which is why he doesn't hate his brother and could have seen himself being the one behind the wheel.
That's how I took it as well. Who knows if they were both stoned or just Hank?
And just because they are brothers doesn't mean they are identical in likes/dislikes. I grew up on a farm. My oldest brother and I both live in the country now; the middle brother prefers the city.
Glen could have been a total jock - expecting to make his money from baseball - so why bother to do more than just get passing grades? Then, after the wreck, he had nothing to fall back on, whereas Hank had to get his sh!t together and was motivated to make something of himself.
So, after all is said and done, Hank has a way to get away from his dad who has always been distant to him, and Glen has no reason to want to get away from his dad who always doted on him.
I would imagine that happened between the accident and the start of the movie. Those two are basically good except, like everyone else, Glen thinks he's an a-hole and especially to dad.
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Brothers can get a lot across without saying a word. I don't know if it's just me but that scene with him hugging it out at the end was powerful and taking responsibility.
shareGlen may have been driving if you read the tea leafs. What older brother is going to let a younger brother drive let alone a sweet Camero. Henry already in the dog house, and maybe feeling he'd be blamed by Dad anyway took the wrap, instead of favorite Glen. RDJ's character seemed like he wanted to say something like that during the storm fight, but bit his lip.
Glen's only issue with him seemed to be that he would have to care for the 3rd brother once the Judge passes on. Not a resentment of a 20 year old dream ending car crash. He seemed happy to have his brother back to me.
Glen could have been a total jock - expecting to make his money from baseball - so why bother to do more than just get passing grades? Then, after the wreck, he had nothing to fall back on, whereas Hank had to get his sh!t together and was motivated to make something of himself.THIS! My god! Enough with the "poor, pitiful Glen" cry-fest. There's no guarantee that he would have made it to the major leagues. ANYTHING can end a professional athlete's career at any time. You can't wait until your ship comes in to make a life for yourself. You'd better be doing something worthwhile all the time, or you'll just be another straw dog who peaked in high school.
It wasn't a Camaro. It was a Pontiac Firebird.
shareIt was odd that Glen didn't seem to resent Hank for the car accident. Outside of the normal sibling bickering, his main complaint is that Hank left. He never talks about the car accident even when their father brings it up again and again. There could be something more behind that, either he knows Hank took the rap for him or he cheated by hooking up with Hank's recent girlfriend Sam.
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Glen was lower in the social hierarchy, a successful high school alpha-male as Hank didn't need to say he sorry. Just like that diner chick didn't tell him he was the father to her child. Lowest in the Hollywood hierarchy was the handicapped brother that Glen bashced when he hadda let off some steam.
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